Dream, My Child

r.h. Sin is a New York Times bestselling author of poetry books. He lives in New York with his wife, poet Samantha King Holmes, and two kids.Janie Secker lives near Christchurch, New Zealand, with her husband and 2 indulged sausage dogs. She works in a digital medium, adding hand-painted elements to provide texture and depth. “Looking into a blank canvas, carving out little worlds upon it, bringing those worlds to life, is magical to me.”

Inside the mystical dream world of a sleeping infant.Perfect for bedtime, this story is narrated by a gentle, loving parent lulling their little one to sleep. It’s 7:22 p.m., according to a nearby clock, and the parent holds the baby and a toy sloth on their lap, reading a story. Nearby, a globe sits on the floor. The simple, repetitive text encourages the baby to close their eyes: “Dream, my child / You’ll sleep tonight.” Though the text is rhythmic and soothing, the illustrations are the star of the show. Readers get a look into the baby’s whimsical fantasy, illustrated evocatively by Secker, who juxtaposes brightly hued characters against a dark gray background. The baby dreams of floating off into the sky with the sloth, who comes to life. They meet other little ones and travel all over the world, floating by the Eiffel Tower and the pyramids in a hot air balloon, observing sea life in a boat, ice-skating with a group of animals, and stopping by the Taj Mahal. At one point, the narrator says, “Good night stars / Good night, moon”—a sweet nod to Margaret Wise Brown’s classic. “When you awake // I’ll be right here,” assures the parent; the final page depicts both parents embracing the child. The baby and their parents are Black; other characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A charming bedtime story sure to have little ones sleeping in no time—and dreaming up adventures of their own. (Picture book. 0-3) (Kirkus Reviews, Kirkus Reviews)